CMSAG 2024 exhibition

The Cradley, Mathon and Storridge Art Group (CMSAG) held its 22nd Anniversary Exhibition at Storridge Village Hall on Saturday 26th and Sunday 27th October 2024.

Visitors were down this year to 50, probably because it was the first sunny weekend in a long time and many people would have been in their gardens.

However, those who came were impressed by the standard of the paintings and Geoff Rowswell, who has a longstanding connection with the Group, said that it was the best exhibition for quite a while.

There were 71 paintings from 17 artists. As usual, we asked our visitors to vote for their favourite picture. There was a good spread, but the three winners were all calendar pictures. first was Di Poole’s Blaenau Ffestiniog, second was Margaret Cross’s Deserted Blackhouse, Hebrides and third was David Partington’s Birt’s Bridge, Duddon Valley.

As quoted in the catalogue, “so many of our paintings are special to us and we cannot part with them. These paintings are nfs which really means needed for self.”

We did, however sell several paintings and a good number of calendars and cards. Wend’s animal coasters went down well.

In a move to encourage more people into painting, we hosted four tuition days this year, inviting people from outside the Group. This has been popular, with a few returners and also new members to the Group. There were two acrylic days with Ivan Maxwell Jones, a watercolour day with Ian Ridley and portraiture with Geoff Rowswell.

Mary Vivian retires as treasurer this year having already extended her tenure by two years. Thankfully, she will remain on the committee, and I thank her on behalf of all the Group for her unstinting work.

Margaret Cross